Suspected Taleban insurgents have attacked a police post in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, leaving at least four policemen and five militants dead.

Local officials say the militants fled after the Monday night clash, which lasted for three hours.

Earlier, security officials say that suspected Taleban rebels ambushed and killed an Afghan government official in an area bordering Pakistan.

Police say the official, Mohammed Zahir, was attacked Tuesday, in the town of Paktia.

In the exchange of fire, Zahir and one of the attackers were fatally shot and at least one other militant was wounded.

The Taleban was ousted from power in Afghanistan by U.S.-led forces in late 2001. The invasion was carried out after the fundamentalist regime refused to hand over al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden following the September 11th terror attacks on the United States.